Sweet Serendipity
by KiwiSun
Summary: At the wedding of one of his oldest friends, Jon Good runs into a face from his past; one he's never forgotten.
1. Recognition

Jon winced as he put his car in park. 12.15. The invitation had asked everyone to be seated by midday. _I can only hope the bride plans on being fashionably late_ , he thought. He quickly checked his tie, not bothering about his hair, and jumped out of the car, pacing quickly towards the lawns of the Blossom Country Club.

 _Rick will understand_ , he thought to himself. Rick was one of his oldest, most loyal friends. He didn't have many left; the thing about friendships is you generally need to see people to maintain them. He'd been on the road with the indies since his early twenties, and since signing with the WWE, was hardly in one place long enough to catch up anyone. But Rick was different. They went back a long way, and he always understood the manic pace of Jon's life. Rick had supported him when times had been tough, and they spoke and texted regularly. Even though it had caused some disgruntlement with the company, Jon wouldn't miss today for the world. Rick was marrying the girl of his dreams, Samantha, and Jon wanted to be there. His flight from Charlotte had been slightly delayed but he had made it. He slipped into a chair in the second to last row, and his movement caught Rick's eye. They exchanged eyebrow raises before Rick mocked Jon's tie. Jon smiled at the rib, before taking in the scene. It was Hollywood perfect: a spring wedding under the blooming blossom trees. An arch with pink and peach flowers strategically placed around it, symmetrical rows of chairs either side of the aisle, each with a pink or peach bow. _Must've been planned by a chick_ , Jon thought. Even Rick and his two brothers were matching perfection in their pressed grey suits, white shirts with a peach flower on their lapels. He chuckled to himself quietly, knowing Rick would've begrudgingly agreed to the flower. _Hell hath no fury like a woman planning her wedding..._

The beginning strains of a violin pierced the air, and the guests all stood. Jon joined them, after a quick glance at Rick, wiping his hands on his trousers. _He's nervous as hell,_ Jon could tell, and was glad to see Tom, in his role as best man and big brother, place a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Jon turned to see a little girl, dressed in a small white dress, shyly walking down the aisle. He recognised her as Rick's niece Alice _. She must be four years old, why are they dressing her like a bride?_ he thought, before checking himself. _Just because you're not sold on getting married, don't criticize others. The kid looks cute._ Alice made it to the end of the aisle, and got a high five from her Uncle Rick, before standing shyly behind Tom's leg.

A bridesmaid was next; an average looking brunette in a baby pink dress, holding peach flowers. She had an overly enthusiastic smile on her face and seemed to walk quickly. Jon laughed at the pause before the next sign of movement. There was obviously a walking cue. The next girl was walking slower, he could see out of the corner of his eye, her dress and flowers matching the previous woman's. Her pace allowed Jon time to glance around, trying to spot guests he recognised from his school days. More accurately, guests he wanted to avoid. As he turned back, the bridesmaid had just walked past him. The short glimpse he saw of the side of her made him lean sideways for another look. _Hang on. Surely not_. From the back, he couldn't confirm or deny his query. Her auburn hair was pulled away from her face, with loose curls falling down her shoulders and back. He watched her arrive at the end of the aisle, where Rick gave her a big smile. The woman stepped into formation beside the previous bridesmaid, and turned to face the guests. As she did so, Jon felt some of the air escape his lungs. There was no denying it. She hadn't changed one bit. _Amber_.

Jon didn't even notice other guests turn back to await the bride, nor did he look at Samantha when she passed him. His eyes were fixed on Amber.

* * *

 _"Hey, Jonny, someone's dropped some eggs down the back. By the pet food. Can you get to cleaning that up?"_

 _Jon rolled his eyes. This was so not where he wanted to be right now. "Sure," he said, keeping his tone as level as possible. "It's Jon, by the way." His duty manager, Evan, looked at him blankly. "What'd I say?"_ There's no point _, Jon thought, heading out back to fetch the mop and bucket. He'd been working shifts at the local grocery store for three weeks and Evan wouldn't drop the Jonny thing. He'd never called himself that, so it pissed him off that Evan was making it a thing._

 _He headed to the back of the store where the spill was, and began mopping. Each time he ran the mop through the strainer bucket, he pictured himself pulling on the long hair of an opponent. He tried to envision the mopping motion as building muscle in his arms, all the better to apply chin locks with. Everything he did, he tied back to wrestling. That was the reason why he was here. School no longer interested him; he wanted to be training full time. But with 18 still ten months away, he had to take what he could get. He was working at shows, selling popcorn and merchandise, anything he could get his hands on. The grocery store was an income stream only; he was saving his money to pay for full time wrestling training. He had it all planned out. Training for a couple of years, touring the independent circuit, some overseas promotion work, then signing with the WWE. He was going to make it. He knew it. He just needed to make it through this shift without hurting anyone._

 _"Excuse me, Jonny?"_ _  
_ _Jon growled internally. He looked up to see an old lady standing before him, beside the ginger girl from the front counter he'd not spoken to since he started. "I was wondering if you could please help Mrs Hill carry her sacks of potatoes to her car please? She would like three of them so we will need to default to someone with a bit more upper body strength." Both the girl and Mrs Hill giggled, while Jon stood, holding the mop, staring blankly. He'd only worked one other shift with this girl, and she felt like she could demand him to do something that wasn't his job? "Yeah, sure," he replied snarkily. He didn't overly want to, but he didn't want to be cleaning egg yolk off the floor either. "Oh thank you dear," Mrs Hill replied. "I don't have the strength I used to." Looking her up and down, he wondered how something so frail could have ever been strong. He leaned the mop against the wall and followed them towards the counter._

I should've known better _, Jon thought to himself. He'd been stuck talking to Mrs Hill for almost ten minutes in the parking lot. Rather, he'd been stuck listening to Mrs Hill for almost ten minutes. She obviously wasn't very good at reading body language. He hardly said a word and stood with his arms crossed angrily while she raved on about how much her grandchildren liked potatoes. It was only a few drops of rain which finally shut her up, and Jon contemplated not going back into the store. But, he needed the money._

 _He returned to the back of the store to finish cleaning up, but found the floor to be clear, with a warning sign up to avoid slips. He looked around and saw the counter girl emerge from out back. When she noticed him, she walked towards him. "Oh Jonny, thanks so much for that. She's a good customer, a regular," she said, smiling at him. He raised his eyebrows in an attempt to communicate that it was no big deal; he just wouldn't want to do it again._ What happened to the eggs? _he wondered._ Why would she help me? _"Did you finish up here?" he asked, motioning towards the floor. "Yeah," she shrugged. "There was no one else in the store, and I figured she might keep you a while. Do you know all the names of her grandchildren now?" She chuckled, only to herself. "There's Caleb and Victoria, and Stephanie and Piper..." Her voice was sarcastic and the grin on her face showed that she was making fun of herself for having to listen regularly._ Maybe I should be pleased I only had to deal with her once _, Jon thought. "Anyway, I better get back before people think there's no one on the counter and they can walk out the door without paying for things."_ She talks too much _. "Thanks for your help, Jonny," she said, smiling sweetly before walking away up the cookie aisle. "It's Jon," he muttered. "Huh?" She was back beside him with an inquisitive look on her face. He rolled his eyes. "It's Jon, not Jonny. We have name badges, Amber," he said, looking down at hers for emphasis. He saw her eyes drop to his chest, verifying his name. "So it is," she said, turning back towards the counter._

* * *

Jon wasn't paying much attention to the celebrant's words. He heard her welcome everyone, and say something about sharing in Rick and Sam's happiness, but he wasn't focusing. He was doing some quick calculations in his head. It had to be at least ten years since he'd seen her. And he'd know her anywhere. He'd spent hours studying her face, the shape of her as he'd held her while she slept. Subconsciously he'd committed her to memory, which had been both a good and bad thing in the subsequent years. He had his eyes locked on her; she was listening intently to the celebrant, dutifully holding Sam's flowers. It was only as the guests were asked to bow their heads in prayer that she began to look around. A smirk crossed Jon's face. Neither of them were religious. Amber pretended to lower her head, then looked at the faces in front of her, slowly moving her eyes move towards the back. As she scanned from one side of the aisle to the other, her eyes fell on Jon. She blinked softly, the corners of her mouth turning upwards in a smile. Jon felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Before he knew it, the prayer was over, and Amber's eyes were back facing the bride and groom. He couldn't shake the goosebumps on his arms. They had been through so much together, but now they were completely separate people. Still, Amber didn't look as surprised to see him as he had been to see her. _Maybe she didn't actually recognize me?_ _Maybe she couldn't see who she was grinning at?_ He spent the rest of the ceremony staring at her, except for when Rick and Sam kissed to seal the deal. He cheered and clapped along with everyone else, and as the bridal party walked down the aisle, Amber with her arm linked through Tom's, he swore he noticed her eyes flick his way as she passed.

He had to talk to her.


	2. Photographs

_It was pouring with rain at closing time. Jon had brought all the store signs in, and the furniture from out front, and he, Evan and Amber were standing out back, locking up behind them. The others headed towards their cars, while Jon stood rummaging through his back, pretending to look for car keys. After the two cars pulled out of the parking lot, he took a look around and pulled his hood over his head, setting out to walk home. His eyes squinted through the rain, and he needed to keep a hand on his hood to stop it from blowing off in the wind. After a few minutes, he noticed headlights pulling in behind him. At first he kept his head down; he didn't need any trouble. But the headlights flashed behind him, causing him took a look back. It pulled up beside him. He squinted through the darkness and identified fiery red hair. "Get in," Amber yelled through the slightly open window. He stared at her._ Why the hell would I? _He'd only worked a handful of shifts with her, and after the egg incident they'd hardly spoken to each other again. Not out of dislike, moreso that there was no need. "Come on, Jon. You'll catch a cold in this weather." A gust of wind blew more rain into his eyes, and as he blinked it out, he heard the door of the car click open. Amber was leaning across towards him. "I promise I don't bite," she said, giggling to herself. Jon rolled his eyes._ Fine _, he thought._ But only because I'll get out of this weather, so I'm well enough to go to the gym in the morning.  
 _  
_ _He climbed in the car, bringing puddles of water with him. He instantly noticed the warm air of the car heater. He pulled his seatbelt across him and saw Amber looking at him. "I'm not stupid you know," she said._ Jury's out, _he thought internally. "I can count. Two cars in the parking lot, three people_." Get your nose out of other people's business _. "So, where am I taking you?"_

 _They drove in silence, with only the top 20 local radio countdown filling the air. Amber tapped her hand on the steering wheel in time to the music. Jon was watching her out of the corner of his eye. She always seemed so goddamn happy. What was there to be happy about in this back end town? A crack of lightning broke his thoughts, and Amber squeaked in delight. "I love a good thunderstorm," she said looking across at him. He half-turned to her, acknowledging her comment. "Me too," he found himself saying, despite not wanting to enter conversation with her. But it was true. He enjoyed storms. They reminded him that the sky got angry too._

 _As the car turned onto Maxwell Ave, Jon counted a few driveways before speaking up. "Right here will do." Amber glanced at him quickly and pulled the car over to a slow stop. "Okay. See you when I see you. Go have a nice warm shower or something." She had a grin on her face, and Jon nodded his head once in reply. He jumped out on to the sidewalk, into the wild weather. As he went to shut the car door, he leaned inside. "Thanks," he mumbled awkwardly, and Amber waved a hand dismissively. "No problem." He closed the door, probably a bit too firmly, adjusted his backpack and began walking slowly._

 _He watched Amber's car disappear around the corner and counted to fifty. When he was certain she wasn't coming back, he turned 180 and headed back the way they came. It was going to be another 15 minutes or so on foot from here until he got home. Of course he didn't live on Maxwell. He lived on Woolton. A part of town Little Miss Girl Next Door had probably never been to. And, despite not usually caring about what people thought of him, he didn't want her to know he lived there. The part of town which came with a warning._ _  
_

* * *

"That's Amber Kennedy, right?" Jon asked Mike, Rick's younger brother and other groomsman, trying to keep the nonchalance in his voice. Guests were mingling, trying to chat with the happy couple while some family photos were taken. "Ummmm. I'm not sure what her surname is. It might be Kennedy," Mike replied. Jon didn't need his assurance on that. _Unless, what if she's not Amber Kennedy anymore? What if she's married?_ "How do you know her?" Mike continued. Jon ignored the question. "How does Sam know her?" He'd met Sam plenty of times, given her and Rick tickets to shows, been to their house, and never had she made the connection. "I think they went to college together, or something. They're both teachers." _So she finished her degree_ , Jon thought, watching as she chatted with guests on the country club lawn. Subconsciously he smiled, happy that she'd followed her dream. "You know each other?" Mike repeated. "Yeah, we used to work in a grocery store together as kids," Jon replied. That wasn't a lie, of course, but it was hardly the full truth. "Ha," Mike scoffed. "Small world huh?" _Isn't it just..._

The bridal party was ushered away for photographs at another part of the country club. Jon was at a loss with what to do with himself. This morning, he'd braced himself for some small talk with strangers, and people who had never given a shit about him before but suddenly wanted to be his best friend. He had a few strategies he'd built up over the years to deal with that. But now he felt completely sideswiped. It was like someone had reached inside his head and turned it upside down. He took a few slow steps away from the gathering and headed towards the lake, behind where the ceremony had been held. He decided on a spot and sat down under a blossom tree, complete disregard for his suit. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, tapping it against his hand a few times, before navigating to the photo album. He was no good with technology, but he knew exactly where to find what he was looking for. He had three pictures he'd taken on his phone of physical photos which lived in an envelope at the very bottom of his bedside table. Back then, no one had cameras on their phones and you had to get film developed. Well, he did anyway; he didn't have a digital camera like some of the other kids had.

Jon touched the screen to bring one of the photos to full size. 19 year old Amber was smiling back at him; sweaty but glowing after finishing her first half marathon. He swiped, bringing a picture of a napping Amber to the screen. She'd dozed off under a tree in a local park in the sunshine, propped up against Jon's leg. And the final image, his favourite. He knew every detail in it before he swiped to it. There they were, the two of them, in a dirty community hall. This time, young Jon was sweaty and red in the face, wearing wrestling trunks. Amber, dressed in jeans and a winter jacket, her long hair pulled into a pony tail, was holding a hand written sign which read "Jon Moxley kicks ass." It had been his first ever real match, one where people had paid to get in, albeit it only $5 and not to see him. Amber was beaming with pride. Jon looked at his hand around her waist. He had lost that night, but it had been the best moment in his life to that point. The hard copy version of this photo was dog-eared and miscolored. It had travelled the world with him for a long time and acted as assurance he was doing the right thing; even if he happened to be sleeping in his car at that point or not progressing in the lower indie scene.

The memory of how he'd felt that night had often faded in the hard times, until he looked at the photo again. He would see the joy on both of their faces and remember how it felt to finally be in the ring. To have someone who believed in you. It buoyed him, even after they'd grown apart. He owed Amber more than she would ever know.

Tonight, he would tell her. He would thank her.


	3. Adrenaline

_The rides 'home' after work became a regular occurrence, thanks to a run of bad weather initially, but habit thereafter. Amber was persistent, both with her offers of transport and attempts to start conversation. Jon had softened slightly to her. He began to notice the way she knew all the customers, and smiled at them like they were family friends. Several times a shift he would hear her boisterous laugh from whatever aisle he was in. She would whistle, terribly out of tune, to the 80s music being played in the store. She would give children stickers on their hand or let them help scan things. She just liked people more than he did. And they seemed to like her. No one had a bad word to say about Amber. And it bugged him that he was starting to include himself on that list._

 _Jon didn't usually work Tuesdays, but after a particularly rough few weeks at school, when he actually bothered to attend, he had asked Evan to work extra shifts. The money would help, of course, and it gave him somewhere productive to be rather than hanging around home. He hadn't realised that Amber worked Tuesdays._ Won't have to walk home tonight _, he thought to himself._

 _Jon had been trusted to lock up the store, and he and Amber had just walked out the back door. Jon needed to hook a bar and chain through the door, so Amber said she would bring the car round back while he did so. She disappeared around the corner, her handbag slung over one shoulder, while Jon pulled the bar across the handles of the door. A shrill scream pierced the night, followed by his name. In an instant Jon dropped the bar and sprinted around the corner of the store. Amber was pinned against her car by a large man, pulling on her handbag. "Help! Help! Jon!" She screamed again, unable to see if he had heard her. The man pressed his forearm into her neck, and Amber could no longer shout._ You son of a bitch _, Jon thought as he rounded the back of the car and launched himself at the man._

 _Jon's force knocked the man backwards onto the ground. His own momentum had him land a foot or so away from the attacker. Somewhere in the back of his mind he registered Amber calling his name, but the adrenaline pumping through his body had him fired up. He got to his feet as the other man stumbled to his, took a look at him, then Amber, before turning and running away. Jon followed him. "You f-king bastard!" he yelled. "I will find you!" The man jumped a fence and disappeared into the darkness, and Jon knew it was pointless. He stood for a moment, catching his breath, before turning back to Amber. Her car was partially lit by the security light of the store, but not well enough to properly read her face. He jogged back to her. "Are you alright?" he asked. She looked at him with wide eyes, her face pale. She looks to be in one piece, he thought, looking her up and down. She still had her handbag. Amber's hands moved to her face and she let out a loud sob._ Uh oh. Oh god. _Jon had never dealt with a crying girl before. "Are you okay?" he asked, figuring something must be hurting for her to be so upset. She turned into him, lowered her head onto his shoulder, and cried. Hard._ Shit. What do I do? _Jon lifted a hand to her back and gave her a few pats. "Shhhh. He's gone now," he said. "Everything's gonna be okay."_ That seems like the right thing to say.

* * *

The bridal party returned to the reception venue to rapturous applause. Jon was relieved. He'd been making small talk with the people at his table for long enough. His leg had been bouncing under the table non-stop, through nervous energy and impatience. He smiled at Rick and Sam; his buddy looked genuinely happy. As they sat at a long table at the head of the room, Amber helped Sam sit, adjusting her dress. He could just imagine what a great right hand woman she'd be. She always had shit sorted. She sat herself, next to Sam, gave her hair a flick, and turned to listen to the Master of Ceremonies. Jon kept his eyes on her. He didn't want to miss it if she looked his way again. Watching her laugh at the MC's lame quips brought a smile to his face, and a rush of memories to his brain.

* * *

 _Jon shifted his weight between his feet anxiously._ Maybe this was a mistake _. There was a weird uneasy feeling in his stomach, and he didn't like it. He took a quick look back at his bike, chained up against a post, and thought about heading home. But Amber's voice interrupted his escape. "You're here!" she exclaimed, the mocking tone evident. "I was just about to go in by myself." She was grinning at him, even though he couldn't see the funny side. "Yeah well," he started, "I don't own a watch." Amber looked down at his wrist as if to verify the statement, then turned towards to cinema. "Come on, we've probably missed the start."_

 _He was in this position because he couldn't say no. Amber's mom had brought her into the store on Thursday, two nights after the attack, and Amber and Jon's regular work night. Amber wasn't working, with Evan covering her on the counter. Her mom demanded to know what Evan was going to do to keep Amber safe. Jon watched the interaction from around a corner, pretending to stack crackers, until he felt a tap on his shoulder. Amber had been walking the store looking for him. When she spoke, her voice was soft but ragged. She had been unusually coy and shy, but thanked him for his intervention on Tuesday. As she told him about her bruised voice box, a result of the pressure applied to her neck, Jon had noticed a handful of bruises on her right wrist. His eyes narrowed and a wave of adrenaline built within him. He was still buzzing off the feeling of tackling that asshole; knocking him down, chasing him away had made him feel like more of a man than he ever had. He'd even thought of himself as a hero. But listening to Amber, seeing her, made him realise he'd not stopped all the damage. She'd been hurt. He felt his ego drop down a peg or two. "So, I was wondering," she said as he tuned back into her, "if you'd maybe wanna catch a movie or something over the weekend. My shout, as a thank you." She'd looked so hopeful, so genuine, and it only took another look at the purple spots on her wrist for him to agree. As she left, he had cursed under his breath. He'd let himself be guilt tripped into it._

 _So here they were. At a cinema in town, watching Zoolander. Her choice, but something she felt would appeal to him too._ How she could think that, I have no idea. _She was throwing her head back in laughter at the idiotic humor._ It is good to see a smile on her face though _, he admitted to himself. It was clear she'd been shaken up by the incident. As another laugh rolled out of her, he turned to look at her._ I wonder what it's like to be so carefree. To drop everything else that's happening in your life and be able to enjoy goofy crap like this.

 _Following the movie, Jon was sure to walk Amber to her car. She threw her bag across to the passenger seat and turned back to him before getting in. "Thanks again," she said, her eyes focusing in on his. He flicked his hand in dismissal. "Don't worry about it, you've paid your debts now." She scoffed slightly. "I don't see it that way," she replied, softly. She looked at him and he felt that unease return to his stomach. "Everything would've been much worse without you."_ No one has ever said anything like that about me before _. With speed, she leaned forward, placed a quick kiss on his cheek and stepped back. His eyes widened, before turning into a frown._ What the hell was that? _"I better go," Amber said awkwardly, before jumping into the car and pulling out of the parking lot._

 _Jon's heart was pumping on the ride home, and he wasn't sure he could put it down to pedalling quickly. The cold wind was flowing into him, making his face cold. But he could still feel the exact spot her lips had touched him. His stomach was no longer feeling turbulent. Now it was his mind._


	4. Suit and tie

Jon watched as Rick and Sam danced slowly, their arms around each other. He smirked knowing that Rick would have hated the thought of a first dance. At the end of the first verse, the rest of the bridal party joined them. Tom led Amber to the dance floor, and they looked like they were trying not to laugh. Jon narrowed in on Tom's hand, resting on the exposed skin of Amber's upper back. For some reason he couldn't take his eyes off it. Suddenly, a loud scratch interrupted the music, and Greased Lightning hit. The bridal party peeled away from their partners, and split into guys and girls, dancing in formation. The room roared with laughter as Rick took his blazer off and unbuttoned his shirt _. Not only a first dance, but a gimmick first dance_. _The things you do for love, huh?_ Jon recognised Beyoncé's voice break in over the top of John Travolta, and Sam, Amber and the other bridesmaid strutted and pouted, shimmying towards the guys. Amber was too busy laughing to execute all the moves with the same precision as the bride, but she and Tom came back together and finished with a nice twirl and dip. The crowd cheered, as Rick was kissing his new wife. Jon's eyes didn't move from Amber.

* * *

 _The next time Jon worked with Amber, he kept his head low. He wanted to avoid having to confront the fact that she's kissed him. And the fact that it had pretty much been the only thing he'd thought about since. He'd overanalysed the moment from every angle, but no one needed to know that. He'd cycled to work avoid needing a ride home. That feeling had returned to his stomach when he saw Amber at the counter, and she looked his way a few times. Her smile only intensified the feeling, and he didn't know what to make of it. He just lowered his eyes or turned away._

 _Jon returned from his break to find Amber leaning against the stack of boxes he was meant to be working with. He sighed heavily. "Maybe I overstepped the line," Amber said, more a question than a statement. He couldn't bring himself to look at her, so looked at the wall, chewing on his lip. "Have I offended you? I'm sorry... Can we stop the cold shoulder stuff now?" Jon swallowed purposefully, trying to think about what to say. "Please?" she pleaded, her voice almost sad. He turned his eyes to her, landing on her arms. The bruises on her wrist were yellowing now, but to him, they may as well be as black as new. He shut his eyes tight quickly, in an attempt to think about something else. "I thought you might think I gave you cooties or something. As if a girl had never kissed you before." Jon's palms went clammy._ Not one like you _. "But lesson learned, you didn't like it, I'll know to show my gratitude in other ways." She turned quickly, and walked back to the counter._

 _She didn't look at him for the rest of the shift, and he noticed a fall in her tone to the customers. She seemed almost sad_. Good one, you've upset her. The happiest person in the world and you've made her sad _. At closing time, they locked the store in silence and Amber turned to walk to her car. "What are you doing?" Jon rushed the words out. She didn't reply. He took a couple of steps towards her, and grabbed her arm, gently. She spun back towards him, eyes focused on his hand on her. He released his grip in case it was hurting her. "I'll walk you to your car." She shrugged. "You don't have to." She looked down at her feet._ Yes I do _. "Can't have you getting hurt again on my watch," he said, hoping she saw what he really meant_. I don't want to see you hurt again, at all _. She turned back towards the car, and walked a step in front of him, not saying anything. The silence was so unusual for her, and he felt that heavily. The flipping in his stomach accelerated. When they reached her car, she turned and gave him a soft smile. "Thanks," she whispered, opening the door. Her eyes dropped again and Jon couldn't stand her face. It reminded him he was a failure. He'd failed to stop her getting hurt, and now he'd failed to act like an actual person when she tried to talk to him. Her mood was all his fault. Without thinking, he kissed her cheek, the same as she had his. She looked up at him, baffled, and which was exactly how he felt too._ What now? _His stomach was thumping with that weird sensation. "Now we're even," he said, walking backwards a few steps, then turned sharply to head to his bike._ F-k that girl man. What the hell was that? _  
_

* * *

The music changed again, to a slow love song. Sam and Rick motioned to their parents to join them on the dance floor, while Tom turned to his wife. Amber, now without a partner, walked off to the side of the dance floor, chatting to the photographer. Jon let his eyes turn back to Rick, who was now dancing with his mother. Mrs Jamieson had bounced back from a cancer scare and it pleased Jon to see her here, dancing with her son. He assumed the older man with Sam was her father. Mike had little Alice in his arms, twirling her and tipping her upside down like a good uncle. It was a warm, happy family scene.

A tap on the shoulder interrupted his thoughts. "Nice suit." He turned, taking in the baby pink dress, and following it up until his eyes met Amber's. He felt his throat dry up. _She's still a beautiful woman._ _Even with all that make up on her face._ "You still have two left feet?" she asked, a mocking grin spreading on her face. "Everywhere but the ring," he quipped quickly. "Perfect," she said, reaching down and grabbing his wrist, pulling him to his feet.

* * *

 _Jon was as nervous as hell. He was sitting in the living room of the Kennedy home, sweating underneath his borrowed tuxedo. Mr Kennedy sat across from him in an awkward silence. He and Amber had been dating for three months, which was the longest time he'd ever been with a girl._ By about two and a half months. _It was Amber's prom night, and Jon was more uncomfortable than ever. The tie, tied by the wife of his wrestling boss, felt like it was restricting his oxygen levels. He'd combed and styled his hair until he didn't recognize himself, and the borrowed shoes were so shiny he could see his reflection in them._ This is so not me. _He twiddled his thumbs, tapping his feet gently on the carpet. Mrs Kennedy poked her head around the corner. "Are you boys ready? Ready for our beautiful princess?" Jon got to his feet, noticing butterflies in his stomach. The idea of prom didn't appeal to him, but seeing Amber dressed up certainly did._

 _Amber stepped slowly around the corner, dressed in a long, flowing dark green dress. Her hair was done fancy on top of her head, held in place by a shiny clip. The dress hugged her hips, her chest, and Jon felt his mouth open. Amber was looking at him modestly, almost embarrassed to be presented before him like this. Especially in front of her parents. "Wow," he said, looking her up and down._ She really does look like royalty _. "You look... beautiful." Internally, he berated himself for sounding cliché, but it was true. She looked incredible; so different from her usual jeans and t shirt attire. He saw a blush appear in her cheeks. "You scrub up okay yourself," she said, coming closer to him. They stared at each other for a moment, before Mrs Kennedy killed it. "Leon! Leon! The camera!" As he slipped his arm around her to pose for photos, he caught a whiff of a vanilla perfume._ She even smells amazing _. Amber turned to him and smiled, and he felt a warmth within him. This was easily the happiest moment of his life._ Even with a penguin suit on.

* * *

"You didn't seem surprised to see me."

Jon had Amber in his arms for the first time in years. Many a lonely night he'd wondered what she was doing with her life now, and here she was; one hand in his, the other resting softly on his shoulder as they shuffled on the dancefloor. He had so many questions for her, but he had started with the most pressing. "I'm Head Bridesmaid," Amber chuckled. "I helped with the seating plan and guest list. Of course I knew you were going to be here." She looked him right in the eye and he felt a flicker in his chest, as if his body was remembering how it used to respond to her. "And you didn't say anything to them?" Jon asked in a whisper, with a quick look over her shoulder towards Sam and Rick. They were yet to notice them, but he knew it wouldn't take long. Amber shrugged her shoulders. "What would I say? 'He and I dated in our teens?' And then have to answer questions about if I knew you were a big star now? Awkward." Jon felt almost embarrassed hearing her call him a star. _I'm still me, though. I'm still the guy you knew. Just better now_. "And anyway," she added. "Today is about them, not me and you." _It used to be only be about me and you_ , Jon thought. _I wonder if she remembers._

As the song ended, their moment was interrupted by Rick. "Bro, Mikey said you know Amber. No shit!" He was switching his eyes between the two of them, as if he couldn't believe it. "No shit," Amber responded. Rick had a gobsmacked look on his face, and gently shook his head. "How have we not worked this out, man?" Jon took a look at Amber and laughed. _Exactly_. "You tell me, man."

 _There is a lot of catching up to do_.


	5. Sirens

"Oh my god. Tell me everything!" A slightly tipsy Samantha had cornered Jon, wanting to know everything about how he knew Amber. "I told Rick," he began. "We used to work at the same grocery store. I lived in one direction, she lived in the other." Sam nodded enthusiastically, looking back at Amber, talking to some guests. "More importantly, how do you know her?" Sam looked back at him and giggled. "She's my best friend; we met halfway through college. I can't believe this has never come up before!" Jon pursed his lips. He could believe it, because he wasn't the greatest friend in the world. Perhaps if he had a regular job he'd have been at more of their dinner parties, their engagement party, and all of this would've come up sooner. But it's hard to keep track of things when you're on the move every day. Sam started telling him stories of their time together; being roommates in their final years of college; a graduation vacation to Mexico; helping set up each other's classrooms each year; Amber leading the way through her raucous bachelorette party. Jon willed his eyes to stay on Sam, but he couldn't help the occasional glance over to Amber. It was clear she still enjoyed talking to people.

He tuned back in to Sam. "Because you can tell me all you like you two worked together, but no one I know looks at a high school work mate like that." _Shit_. Jon brought his full attention back to her. "Am I right, or am I right?" she asked, a smug look on her face. "You're intoxicated, that's what you are," he said, searching for someone to run interference. _Tom. Excellent._ "Hey Tommy, your sister in law wants to dance with you," he said, pulling Tom by the wrist. Thankfully, Tom had had his fair share of drinks too, and willingly pulled Sam away with him. As a fit of giggles overtook her, Sam looked back and pointed between her eyes and Jon. He could only hope she had more to drink and forgot all about it.

He took himself outside for some clarity. He maneuvered his way through some smokers to a set of quiet stairs. Sitting down, he tried to collect himself. Sam was right; if anyone had been paying attention to him tonight, they'd have seen the way he looked at Amber. He needed to have a game plan. But hearing all those stories made him think of his own. How Amber had cried when he finally told her he lived on Woolton, not Maxwell - not because he lied to her, but because he'd felt like he had to. How she had literally dragged him to a medical center to have his sore hand xrayed. Turned out he'd broken it in a scuffle in the housing complex. Put him out of training for six weeks, and she was proud of herself for it too. How he'd worked extra hours in three jobs to save up to buy her a necklace for her birthday. It had cost $65, which back then was a fortune to them both. She had worn it every single day; she even had it on the last time he had seen her. Ten years ago. No matter how many stories Sam had, he would bet anything that he could trump her.

He heard footsteps behind him, and he knew it would be Amber. She sat down next to him, smoothing out her dress as she did so. "Anyone bothering you, Dean Ambrose?" _That sounds so strange, coming out of her mouth._ "Not at all," he replied. "Just getting some fresh air." They sat in silence for a moment, before his curiosity got the best of him. "So you really never asked them about me? Even when they came to shows and shit?" Amber let out a single loud laugh. "No, I didn't. I didn't know about the WWE for a long time. And when they got tickets, they said Rick knew Dean Ambrose. I certainly didn't put two and two together for a while, until I looked up Jon Moxley about a year ago. Then it all fell into place." She smiled softly. "I kept an eye on you, you know. It was hard, but even harder not to. It used to scare me, seeing all that blood. I never knew whether to hope it was yours or not." He scoffed at the thought. He was glad she hadn't witnessed his really bloody matches. _She never dealt well with gore._ "So where the hell did Dean Ambrose come from? That's when I lost you." He looked at her sideways, flicking his fingers against his hand. "Dean was a suggestion from one of the mentors down in Florida," he replied. "And I already had Ambrose." There was silence for a moment. "Kinda sounds like my name," she said. Jon looked out at the shadows the blossom trees were casting on the grass. _Yeah, it kinda does..._

* * *

Mr Kennedy will actually kill me.

 _Jon had picked Amber up in his truck, which he'd acquired through a friend of a friend. But he was returning her in a police car. His attempt at romance, watching the sunset from the roof of his school's auditorium, hadn't gone down well with the local authorities. He swore it was only Amber's presence that kept him from spending a night in the cells. The cop had recognised her from the store. After a lecture about how she should've known better, punctuated by stern looks in his direction, the officer decided to inflict more shame on Jon by declaring his truck unroadworthy. It wasn't to be driven anywhere tonight. Jon sighed, not only at how much it would cost to get the truck fixed, but at the fact Amber would be taken home in a police car._

 _The cop held Amber's door open for her, and she thanked him by name. Jon had to let himself in. When both doors were closed, he looked at her, raising his voice in a mocking tone to repeat her words. "Thank you Officer Bradbury." She laughed. "Hey, I'm pretty sure that's what is keeping us out of prison!" Jon scoffed; she really was the girl next door everyone on her side of town trusted._ I'm going to get a reputation for attempting to tarnish hers _. Amber looked back up at the auditorium roof and broke into a fit of giggles. "I can't believe we just did that." Her laughter made him smile, and her eyes were shining in the reflection of the street lights. It was an unusual setting, but she looked so pretty._

 _Just as the policeman opened his door to get in, Amber tried to quell her laughter. "Oh my god, I love you, that was so much fun."_ What? _Both of them were silenced by her words, just in time for Officer Bradbury to get in the car. Jon looked over at Amber; her eyes were wide and she was biting her lip._ Did she really just say that? Did she mean it? _She'd strung the words together so quickly, the way teenage girls do._ And girls love everything. They overuse that word. _She turned to him slowly, and gave him a shy smile. He felt a spark run through him._ I think she meant it _._

 _"Now, you kids play along here, okay? And this is just because it's you, Amber..." Officer Bradbury had pulled into the Kennedy driveway, and before anyone had even moved to open their door, Amber's father appeared on the doorstep. "What the hell is this?" he asked aggressively, staring through the window at Jon, rather than his daughter._ Hey, way to stereotype _, Jon thought to himself. Officer Bradbury opened his door, just as Mr Kennedy opened Amber's. "Amber Rose Kennedy, you get inside right now!" She glanced over at Jon nervously, before nudging slowly out the door. Officer Bradbury stepped in. "Leon, Leon, it's alright, calm down. Nothing happened. She's not in trouble. Neither of them are," he added swiftly. He beckoned towards Jon, still inside the car. "Romeo here just needs to work on his chariot. The old thing broke down so I gave them a lift home."_ Phew. _Jon watched as Mr Kennedy looked between Amber and the police officer, then peered into the car at him. He forced his most angelic smile, and saw Amber choke back a giggle. Mr Kennedy's eyes narrowed slightly, before Amber worked her magic again. "Daddy do you think you could help Jon's truck? It didn't sound very good." Jon watched her father's shoulders relax a little bit. "Yeah well, I'm not surprised. That old dump. You should take it somewhere reputable, son. I'll make some calls if you want." Amber jumped up and down, delighted. Most likely because her Dad brought the story, not that he would help with the truck._

 _The Kennedys made their way inside, after a quick goodnight to Jon_. Damn, no goodnight kiss tonight _. As Officer Bradbury pulled out of their driveway, Jon thought he'd try it on. "Thanks so much, Officer Bradbury. I really owe you one," he said, his voice as sweet as he could make it. "No," the officer said swiftly. "You owe her one."_

I sure do. I think she loves me, _he repeated to himself_. And I think I love her.

* * *

"We should probably get you back inside. If Sam's not looking for you, your date probably is."

Amber laughed at Jon's comment. "Really?" _What?_ "Really? You're gonna beat around the bush like that? That's not you Mox. Just ask." _Dammit. She could always read me_. He couldn't find the words, so she filled in the gaps. "I'm not here with anyone, no. Recently single." Her statement hung in the air for a while, and Jon registered his heart rate flicker. "You?" she asked inquisitively, turning towards him. "Eternally single," he said, honestly. Amber bawked. "What, a superstar like you? With your body? With your income?" The cheeky glint in her eye sparked a smirk on his face. "You are looking really good though, Good. Fame and fortune becomes you." _Well, it's funny what happens when you take care of yourself, rather than running away from your demons_. She got to her feet and smoothed down her dress against her body, not going unnoticed. Jon's eyes followed her hands, over her stomach, her hips and her ass, before flicking up to her face. "Hey," he said quickly, standing himself. "What are you up to tomorrow?" Amber cocked her head. He continued. "I've got most of the day tomorrow, if you wanna, maybe, catch up or something." Amber's sly smile appeared. "Yeah. Sounds great," she said, taking a few steps away. "But no funny business, Moxley," she called over her shoulder, turning back to him. He could've sworn she winked at him. _No funny business._

He watched her walk away, the dress hugging her curves. A smile crept on to his face. _Just the two of us_. Some of his best memories were of just him and Amber. _So why the hell am I so nervous?_


	6. Firsts

_Birthdays never did much for Jon. He never really received anything of value, and never had anything of value to give. But this birthday was different. He had every reason to celebrate. He had Amber, and he knew she would make it special. Birthdays meant something to her. But even more, this birthday meant the official start of the rest of his life._ 18\. I can wrestle now.

 _He had spent the day at the gym, training, helping set up. For the last year he'd spent more time here than school. He had no regrets. He'd earned money, he'd got to know some of the guys, and they'd even slipped him a few tips here and there. He'd been selling tickets and popcorn at shows for months, and now he would get to be in the ring._

 _The session was awesome. A small group of six ran the ropes, and learned to take a bump on mats outside the ring. Midway through, stopping for a drink, Jon noticed Amber sitting on the bleachers. She smiled at him warmly. She was as much a regular here as he was. This was where he spent all his time, so she wanted to be there too. Only now he was getting in on the action. He spent the rest of the session desperate for more. He wanted to get into elbows and arm bars and backslides, but the coach reminded them that wrestling was about respect: for your opponent, for the ring and for the audience. Their high-flying would come._

 _/_

 _"I got you something," Amber said, reaching for her bag. They were in Jon's room, cuddled up on his bed. Jon was still buzzing from training, and was finding it hard to fully tune into Amber. His mind was going a million miles an hour. Amber placed a well -wrapped gift on his chest. "Happy birthday," she said, leaning in to kiss him. Jon noticed her linger on his lips for a while, before pulling back_. I'll come back to that, _he thought, as he opened the present. The only one he'd had all day_. What the hell? _he thought, as he peeled back the wrapping_. She got me underpants? _He took a sideways look at her; she was grinning at his confusion. "Pick them up," she encouraged. "Take a good look at them." As he did so, he realised they weren't just cotton briefs. They were black wrestling trunks. And on the back, emblazoned across the butt, was the ring name he'd decided upon years ago; Jon Moxley. There were two black pairs, with different coloured writing, and underneath them, a black pair of tights with 'Moxley' written up the leg. "I didn't know if Jon Moxley would be a trunks or tights guy, so I got both. Do you think he'll like them?" Jon could feel his heart beating in his chest._ This girl, man. How the hell is she so perfect? _"He'll love them," he said, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her to him. "This is the best present I've ever had, thank you."_ _  
_  
 _He brought her lips to his, softly at first, but deepening in response to her. He let his hands travel up and down her back, feeling the shape of her, like he'd done before. Her fingers ran through his hair, which always sent sparks through him. He felt himself beginning to stir but willed it away. In the five months they'd been together, he had become a pro at ignoring his arousal. They'd fooled around a bit but hadn't gone too far. Amber had told him she hadn't lost her virginity yet. Jon wished he could say the same; he wanted to Amber to be his first the way he would be hers. But truth was, he didn't remember it. One of the older guys in the housing complex had promised one night to make him a man, and after few drinks, he'd had no control of himself or his mental faculties. He could close his eyes and see an older girl moving on top of him, but that was it. He didn't remember how it felt, what her name was or how they got into that bedroom. He definitely didn't know how he'd woken up in the garden the following morning. And he didn't feel any different for it._ _  
_  
 _He was kicking himself about that now. It could've been special with Amber._ It should be special with Amber. _He'd told her the truth, and could tell she was disappointed. And nervous, she had said at the time. She had been relieved when he'd protested that he didn't remember it, and that their first time would feel like his first time. And he had reiterated that there was no pressure from his end at all. And that still held true_. Other than the pressure of my cock straining against my pants, _he thought, as Amber's tongue flicked over his._ _  
_

* * *

Jon flopped on to the hotel bed, sighing heavily. _What a f-king crazy day._ He had prepared himself for dealing with faces from his past; friends of Rick's he'd met in their heyday. Never in a million years could he have prepared for seeing Amber. Seeing her had brought back memories and emotions he'd not touched in a long time, for his own sanity. But now, it was like he'd ripped the scab off and couldn't stop the bleeding. He needed to know everything. Where she'd been. What she's being doing with her life. What she thought of him, if she ever did. He looked at the clock. 12.38am. They'd arranged to meet at the food trucks in town at 10am. He knew his night would be spent counting down the hours with memories.

* * *

 _"There's one more thing," Amber said, adjusting herself on his bed. Jon was confused. "You've already given me my present," he protested. "More than one present is not in the rules." Amber groaned. "Technically, there are three things in that gift so the rule is already broken. And they're personalized so I can't take them back."_ Touché _. "Smart ass," he murmured, defeated. She stood, rummaging around in her bag. "But you have to close your eyes for this one, okay?" He was dubious, and it must've shown on his face. "Come on," Amber pleaded, her voice childlike. Jon rolled his eyes, before closing them firmly. "And no peeking!" Amber added. He clamped both hands over his eyes emphatically to show his compliance. "Good," she said, and he heard more rummaging_. I wonder what it is? _he thought to himself._ Maybe a cellphone? _He really wanted a cellphone. But even Amber didn't have her own, she shared one with her sister, so he didn't think she'd buy him one when she didn't have one herself. After a minute or so, he heard her exhale deeply, then announce "Okay, ready."_

Woah. _She was standing nearly naked in front of him. Jon's eyes widened, with a quick glance up and down her body. She was wearing a black lacy bra with rose petals on it, and matching panties. His mouth felt dry all of a sudden, and he felt heat rising in his pants. He stared at her for a few moments, his head not moving past the fact there was a near-naked girl in his room. Amber's head rolled back as she spoke. "Oh my god Jon, say something. This is really scary." He swallowed, wetting his bottom lip quickly with his tongue. "Ummmm. What's this got to do with my birthday?" She laughed, and he noticed how her chest bounced in time with the chuckles. "Well, I was kinda thinking," she said slowly, looking and sounding sheepish, "that maybe I could be the rest of your birthday present."_ Holy shit. _"As in, like..." He couldn't finish the sentence; he was nervous, distracted by her body. "Well, as in like... Touching me. And me touching you. And stuff." It was clear both of them felt awkward, but he did appreciate her efforts._ Get a grip. Act like you've seen a half naked chick in real life before. _He pushed himself up and swung his legs off the side of the bed so he was facing her. His eyes were level with her ribs, her pale skin within reach. "Really?" That's all he could muster. "Really," she said, looking straight at him. "I'm ready, if you are"._ _  
_  
Oh hell yes I'm ready, _he thought. He stood up, forcing him to look into her eyes. "Only if you really are," he said, wanting to make sure she was comfortable. He wasn't sure he was entirely confident himself, but he definitely knew he wanted to touch her. Wanted her to touch him. He'd lay in this bed touching himself, thinking of her. So on that front, he was ready._ But how do you even touch a girl? _He'd watched a few porno clips here and there, but he knew that was all just acting, played up for the camera._ Shit I hope she knows, _he thought to himself. He looked at her, smiling softly, and she looked deliciously innocent._ Who am I kidding? She has no idea. _He took a big breath._ Time to man up. _He took her hand, and leaned down to kiss her. "You sure?" he repeated. He wanted her to be absolutely certain, and he needed to know she was. Amber squeezed his hand. "Totally sure," she whispered, bringing his hands to her hips. Jon stared at his hands on her for a moment. Of course, he'd had his hands on her hips plenty of times. But this was different. This time there was nothing between them._

Take the lead, _he willed himself internally. He sat back on to the bed, pulling her gently with him. They slowly lay down on his bed, kissing tenderly. Jon let his hands explore Amber's body, just like he hand before, but with the added feeling of skin on skin. She felt hot underneath his touch. He felt it too. "Hang on a minute," he said, leaning up. He lifted his shirt up and over his shoulders, and wrestled with the zipper on his pants. He wiggled out of them and threw them to the floor. Amber's eye were wide, noticing the bulge in his boxers. "There," he said, trying to lighten the mood. "Now we're even." Amber giggled, bringing her arms around him again. They kissed, and Jon delighted in the feel of Amber's hands moving along his chest. She took his hand and pushed it slowly down her stomach, until his fingertips were just underneath the top of her panties. He felt his penis twitch._ Oh my god. It's gonna happen. I'm going to touch her there. _He looked up at her, and she smiled. "I trust you," she said, her eyes burning into his. He sighed heavily. That meant a lot to him._

 _They fumbled their way around each other's bodies. Jon pretended he knew what to do, whereas Amber, always a talker, asked him each step of the way what she should do. She wasn't shy about touching him, just unsure if it was the right thing to do. She had asked him to show her how he did it himself, and it had taken everything in him to control himself when her hand was moving up and down his length. He had to push her away to avoid ruining the evening. Amber leaned into her bag and pulled out a condom._ She really came prepared. I wasn't even thinking about that. _He'd have carried on without even thinking about protection._ Thank god for her forward thinking. _He rolled it on the way they'd been shown in sex ed class, hoping it was correct, and positioned himself above her. She was shaking. "Hey, hey," he said gently. "We don't have to do this. It's not too late," he said._ But please don't say no… _Amber shook her head. "No, it's fine. I'm just nervous."_ Me too. _He leaned down to kiss her. "Same," he said, hoping to calm her. "But in the end, it's just you and me, like always. I know we're gonna smash this out of the park." Amber laughed loudly, exactly the reaction he'd been hoping for. She visibly relaxed. "This may be cliché," she began, "but I love you." Jon smiled. His heart was racing._ This is about to happen. The way it should've happened the first time. _"I love you, hotpants," he said, kissing her again, before positioning himself between her legs. He knew he had to go slow, but she felt so good. He saw Amber wince slightly, and he stopped._ It doesn't feel as good for her as it does for me. _A feeling of deflation washed over him, until Amber shuffled underneath him. "Don't stop," she said, reaching down to his waist. "It'll go away, I've heard." Jon hesitated, but the look on her face was genuine. He began to move again, closing his eyes at how warm and soft she felt. Amber bit her lip for the first few thrusts, then eased up below him._

 _It wasn't the most romantic or flawless night. He came within minutes. Amber had a look of bafflement on her face the whole time. Jon's emotions floated between satisfaction, embarrassment and a want to make Amber feel good. But as she said, as she cuddled up against him "Now we know each other."_ _He knew next time would be better. And the next time, even better._ Just like wrestling, really. Practice makes perfect.

 _As Amber got dressed, needing to be home before her 10pm curfew, he watched her, wondering how on earth she ever became interested in him. She caught his eye, and smiled. "Happy birthday, babe," she chuckled. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her._ Best birthday ever.

* * *

Jon smiled. He and Amber had been through a lot together, including learning how the hell to navigate each other's bodies. Once the education was out of the way, they wasted no time in honing their skills. Jon had had his fair share of women since he'd last seen her, but he still remembered the way she touched him. The way she felt that first night, and how she tasted. He could close his eyes and remember countless nights wrapped up with her, or even the odd quickie in the back of his truck. Maybe it was because he didn't have anything to compare it to at the time, or perhaps his memory had been tainted by rose tinted glasses, but no one had ever made him feel the way Amber had. _Shit she looked great tonight._ He knew what was underneath that baby pink dress. His hand made its way down to the buckle on his pants. Closing his eyes, he channelled the thoughts which had kept him company on the road through the years, knowing he needed to get it out of his system before he saw her in the morning.


	7. Relocation

10am. Amber was right on time. She looked completely different from the previous night, but exactly like her. Black sneakers, black leggings and an oversized soft blue t shirt, with her hair pulled back into a pony tail. She was already holding a coffee. "Sorry," she said as she approached Jon. "I had to. If you wanted me to hold a conversation with you, I needed a hit." He smirked. He knew that feeling; red eye flights and coffee hits went hand in hand.

"So..." she began awkwardly. "Where to?" Jon had been thinking about this through the night. What they could do all day, what they should do. He had a few ideas. "Can we eat first?" he answered. "I'm starving." He'd been awake since 6.30, a gentle buzz of excitement in his stomach. "I should've known," Amber scoffed, heading off towards one of the food trucks.

Over a breakfast burrito and crepe, Amber told him about the state of the bride and groom when she helped them leave last night. "I seriously doubt they had the capacity to consummate the marriage," she giggled. "Rick was hardly standing. And Sam had me unthread the back of her dress. Otherwise I think she'd passed out in it." Jon laughed. He had seen Rick on the wrong end of a big night. It wasn't pretty. "They stayed at a fancy place here in town, with a late checkout. I don't imagine they'll be stirring any time soon." _Good on them_ , Jon thought. And while they were on the topic, he decided to try one more time. "So when did you piece it all together? About me." His words hung while Amber finished her mouthful. "When I helped with the guest list. Rick had just written 'Jon' down. So I asked who Jon was, and Sam said that he was an old buddy of Rick's who was now a professional wrestler. That piqued my interest, of course, but I still didn't match it all up. There's probably fifty wrestlers named Jon. Until I asked for this Jon's surname. Sam didn't actually know, she had to ask Rick. But when he said Good, I almost fell off my chair." She was laughing, but Jon was intrigued. _I bet it blindsided her like seeing her yesterday did to me_. "And then what?" he asked, wanting to know how she felt. "Well, I played it cool, but asked a few questions. Coming from the 'oh my god you know a professional wrestler?' angle, but really trying to get information about you. I had figured out you were Ambrose a few months earlier, but I still didn't know how you got there."

He listened as she recounted Rick telling her how he and Jon had met in a dingy bar he was working at. Jon had had too many and it was Rick's responsibility to make sure he wasn't served any more. Jon remembered the story as Amber recited what Rick had told her. Jon had punched a wall when Rick refused to serve him, and then lost it. He shouted and kicked, and as Rick escorted him out of the building, he lost his fight. He began to apologise. He'd told him that his whole world had just fallen apart; that he'd lost everything. Rick had taken sympathy on him and offered to meet him at the bar the following day, to give him a job and get him back on his feet. Amber missed parts of the story, but he wasn't sure if that was because she chose to omit them, or Rick just hadn't told her. "And then he told me how he made you go to that match in Philly, and rest was history, as far as Rick says. He says the world owes him for Dean Ambrose." _Ha, not the first time I've heard that one_ , Jon chuckled.

They walked around the river front for a while, trading small talk. Jon needed to know more about her and what she'd done for the last ten years. He lacked tact, though. "So, how's teaching?" he decided to ask. He saw her smile widen. "Oh Jon it's great, it's exactly like I thought it would be. I've got nine and ten year olds, and it's such a great age. They're aware of the world and what their possibilities are, but they've still got a touch of innocence where they believe they can be anything they want to be. And I love enabling that." _Wow_ , Jon thought. The spark in her eyes and tone of her voice was like nothing he'd seen from her before. _Looks like she found her passion_. "And they're sassy, you know?" she continued. "They think they know everything, and they're all comedians. I love it. It's right up my alley. It is like having a bunch of friends at that age, rather than babysitting other people's little kids like kindergarten. And the best bit is, they're not old enough to think their teacher is lame." Jon laughed out loud at that. _Maybe if I'd had a teacher like her, I'd have gone to school more often_.

* * *

 _"You're leaving me?"_ _  
_ _"I'm not leaving you Jon, don't be stupid."_ _They were sitting on Amber's bed, and she'd just read her college acceptance letter to him. In only a few months, she would be moving to Columbus. Jon knew where she'd applied for college, but he had secretly found himself hoping that she'd change her mind._ There will be smart guys there, intelligent people who will be on her level. My luck is going to run out _._ _"This is my dream, babe," she continued. "You have yours and I am 100% behind that. Can't you do the same for me?"_ Now, that's not fair _. "My dream doesn't involve moving to another city," he spat out, with more bitterness than he intended. He was being petulant and he knew it, but he couldn't help it._ _"Ummm, in the last few weeks you've been to shows in five different cities. I've hardly seen you on the weekends," Amber said, getting up off the bed. "And eventually you'll need to move somewhere. Like Florida or something." She stared at him before starting to put her laundry away._ What does that have to do with anything? _"But that would be with you, that's different," he replied, angry that she was bringing that into the equation. That was in the future. This was now. "And then what?" she said, raising her voice. "You'd get signed for the WWE and I'd be left in a strange city, in a strange state, with no friends or family around and only see you like three days a week?"_

 _He'd not thought about that. That was a good point, but didn't help his argument. "Well you're gonna go off to college and I'll only see you two days a week, so what's the difference? And I wrestle on weekends so that might not even work."_ _His voice was loud, and sour. He even surprised himself with that._ I can't believe she thinks this isn't going to change everything. _"Don't yell at me, Jon. You're talking like I'm moving to Africa. It's less than two hours away."_ _She turned her back on him as she hung clothes in her closet. Jon's eyes lowered and he sucked on his lip gently._ _"I just don't understand why you don't want to stay here, with me."_ _This time, he'd noticed the sadness in his voice._ I'm scared I'll lose you, can't you tell? _He wished he could say that to her, but couldn't bring himself to. Amber turned back to him, hearing his words._ _"That's not it at all. All of this is about you, about us. Don't you think I've thought it through? I need a job where no matter where we live, I can be employed. I need a job that I can do for the rest of my life, long after you've retired. But I also need a job that I can love as much as you will love being a wrestler. And I want to be a teacher. These next few years might be a sacrifice, but it's setting me up, setting us up, for beyond that." There was a pleading in her eyes for his understanding, but he couldn't drop the barrier in his mind._ All of this is pointless. She doesn't get it _. "When I make it, you'll never have to work a day in your life again," he said, genuinely. That was part of his dream too, setting them up for life. "I appreciate that, I really do," she said, sitting on the edge of the bed. "But don't you think I'll need to do something with myself? To keep me occupied? I'm not the type to stay at home and max out your credit card. I'd go crazy. And in the meantime, we will have bills to pay." She paused for effect. "I need to have a purpose in my own life too."_

She's right. Of course. _She was always right. He couldn't expect her to sit on her ass while he was on a tour, with nothing to do. And yes, he did have visions of them living in a palatial house with a pool and walk in wardrobe and bath bigger than a bed, everything Amber could ever want. But what would be the point of it if she was unhappy there, with nothing to do while he was away?_ She's going to be making sacrifices for me for the rest of her life. I guess I can make one for her now. _He took a big breath, trying to channel a persuasive tone, even if he wasn't truly committed to what he was about to offer. "Well, maybe after your first semester, if you're enjoying it, I could look to move to Columbus. And come down here a couple of times a week for training or something. Or see if there's anyone better up there."_ _Amber cocked her head._ _"Really?"_ _She looked hopeful. The light in her eyes hit him in the chest._ Damn you, girl. _"Yeah," he shrugged. "We can give it a shot. You've not stood in the way of my career choice, I won't stand in the way of yours."_ _Amber threw her arms around him. "I love you, you're the best." He sighed._ I better make the most of this before I lose her to some college Einstein. _He brought his arms around her waist. "The best what?" he smirked. "The best boyfriend, the best partner." She kissed him. "And what else?" he asked smugly. "The best wrestler." He scoffed._ She knows the way to my heart. _He kissed her. "And what else?" Amber giggled. "The best kisser?" He kissed her again, deeper this time. "And what else am I the best at?" Amber's brow furrowed. "What else do you want to be the best at?" she asked, out of ideas. "The best at making you come," he whispered into her ear, knowing that gave her goosebumps. A devilish grin appeared on her face, and she pushed him back into the bed. "No competition there," she said, straddling him. "Damn right," he replied, sliding his hands underneath her t shirt. "Like literally, no competition," she giggled._ Even better _, he thought, as she lowered her mouth on to his._

* * *

"So, Vegas huh? That's pretty rock star. The Nati not good enough for you anymore?"

They were sitting across from the store where they first met. Jon was pleasantly surprised to see it was still in business, let alone looking exactly as he remembered it. "It's not as glamorous as you might think," he said nonchalantly. "I don't live on The Strip." Amber scoffed. "I bet you've got a sprawling country property on the edge of the desert or something. With a pool and a kitchen with marble bench tops." He lowered his eyes. She was mocking him, but it was pretty close to the truth. "It makes sense," he defended. "We aren't employees, we're contractors. We have to take care of taxes and shit ourselves. We have to pay our own accommodation and transport and all that. It makes sense to be somewhere with a tax break. I don't know how long I'm gonna be in the game for. It seemed like a good decision." He expected rebuttal, but she nodded, genuinely. "That must've been the most adult thing you've ever done," she said, and he turned to see a slow smile appear on his face. "Hey, don't do me a disservice," he joked. "You don't know who I am these days. I could be the most mature person you've ever met." Neither of them could hold in their laughter. "Fat chance," Amber managed to get out between giggles.

Jon felt a swell of warmth inside his chest. _This is so good, chatting and catching up with her_. It was almost like nothing had changed. But it had, of course. So much had changed. And both of them had so far done an excellent job of avoiding the big issue, the elephant in the room. The reason they'd not seen each other in a decade. He didn't know if he should bring it up; it might ruin everything. She might get upset and leave, and he definitely didn't want that. _I don't know how she could look at me and not be thinking about it. But how would I even bring it up?_ He sighed. _Maybe it isn't worth it. It's great to have reconnected. I don't want to push her too far._

 _But surely it's on her mind too?_ _  
_


	8. Invincible

Amber had driven them to Halsey Reserve claiming nostalgia, but Jon wasn't sure why. Yes they'd frequented the park during their time, but it didn't have any special significance he could think of. "You've forgotten, haven't you?" she said as they got out of her car. "Too many chairs to the head, boy." Her cheeky demeanour amused him, but he couldn't hide the fact he didn't know what they were there for. He followed Amber up a path until she stood by a park bench. He looked at it. "Really, Moxley?" _What?_ He was drawing blanks. _I don't remember this..._ She walked to the end of the bench and squatted down, looking for something. "It's still here, it's right here!" She sounded excited, and beckoned him over. "Look," she said, pointing to some tiny writing on the bench. He squatted next to her, bringing his face closer _. Oh my god, I remember now._ There, carved into the wood, totally nondescript from all the other marks and scrawls, was a small heart: _AK 4 JG_. Amber had inscribed it one day and swore the cops would track her down and make her pay for a new seat. He remembered her comment at the time - "But I don't care cos I want the world to know." He wasn't sure anyone actually read what was carved into park benches in Halsey Reserve, but if they did, this would've been telling their story, semi-anonymously.

"Ah yes, I remember," he said, turning to her. "And you, little goodie two shoes, petrified you'd go to jail for defacing public property." Her head dropped as she laughed softly, and when she looked up, her eyes locked with his. _Holy shit_. He felt it, in a millisecond. The spark and fire they'd had, it was like it had just reignited for a moment. It was something that passed through his entire body. _Did she feel that too?_ he wondered. _She's so close, I could totally kiss her right now_. He saw a colour rise in her cheeks, and she turned away. _Dammit_ , he cursed silently, looking at the goosebumps on his arms. _I gotta keep this going_. "But do you remember my response?" he asked, getting to his feet. She smiled gently. "Of course. Always having to go one bigger and better." He looked around the park. "Which one was it?" Amber pointed at a tree a few yards away. "That one I think."

Jon walked around the tree. "It's not here, it can't be this one," he said, unable to find his return of the public declaration of affection. "I swear it was around shoulder height." Amber stopped dead in her tracks. He looked at her inquisitively. "Seriously?" she asked. _Seriously what?_ "It's been 12 years Jon. Trees grow." He bit his lip. _Oh yeah._ He searched for a witty response, but the smirk on Amber's face changed his mind. Instead he turned his head upwards, looking higher up the tree trunks. "I've got it!" he said, standing on his tip toes. There, a foot or so above his head, was an even larger heart, encircling _JG 4 AK_. "Where, where?" Amber jumped next to him a couple of times but couldn't see it. "Here," he said without thinking, grabbing her around the thighs and hoisting her up. "Oh wow, it is much bigger," she said, with a gentle laugh. She asked him a question, but he didn't hear it. He was focused on the fact he was squeezing her into him; his chest supporting her butt for leverage. He let his eyes run up her spine, and back down to her ass, slightly more rounded due to their position. "You know," he started, a mischievous tone to his voice. "I could totally suplex you from here." She looked back over her shoulder towards him. "Don't you even think about it, Moxley."

* * *

 _Jon flexed his arms and shoulders, waiting for his tag. Tonight was going to be his night. He'd been in the ring, officially, for just under a year, and tonight, him and his tag partner Jimmy were going to become tag team champions. He'd started off the match; full of adrenaline and fire, and had now cooled down on the apron while Jimmy was beaten from pillar to post._ All part of the plan. _Once he'd gathered his breath back, he took a look around, and caught Amber's eye. She'd come down from Columbus for the weekend, knowing he had a title shot tonight. But he'd not told her the result. She never wanted to know if he was going to win or lose; she said she enjoyed the match better not knowing the outcome. One thing she always demanded to know, however, was if there was going to be intentional blood, or an injury angle. He was sure to always tell her in advance if he was going to be faking a shoulder, knee or back injury. He knew she would be able to relax then. Amber smiled widely at him from the second row, and he gave her a wink, walking a fine line of breaking character. She'd been to many of his matches before, of course, but there was something special about tonight; having her in her homemade Mox Violence t shirt, holding her Moxley sign and cheering for him, when he was about to become a champion, made him swell with pride. He made a mental note to check in on her after the bell had rung._ She is going to lose her shit.

 _The tag came and Jon charged in, only to fall to a boot to the face. This final segment of the match was built around him getting pummelled, then all of a sudden, from nowhere, he'd lock in a submission and get the tap out victory. He had been working on his submissions, and was glad to have the chance to be put over with it. As he lay in waiting for a dive from the top rope, he felt the hairs on his neck stand up. His moment was here. All the work, all the dreaming, all the training, for this._ This is how it's gonna be, _he thought._ Me becoming a champion, getting bigger and better. Just the first of many to tick off the list. _He sprung up, caught his opponent mid-air and applied the submission. The small crowd rose to their feet, some cheering, some leering. The current champs were majorly over, and some wouldn't appreciate these young upstarts walking away with the titles. But within moments, the tap came, and the bell rang. Jon held the hold longer than necessary, to sell the heel story, until Jimmy launched himself at him in a celebratory embrace. The noise from the crowd rang in Jon's ears. The referee handed them each a belt, before raising their arms in victory. Jon scanned the crowd. There she was, jumping up and down, arms in the air. She was mouthing 'Oh my god!' at him, and he saw her wipe her eyes quickly. His heart was pumping a million miles an hour._ This is awesome. I'm tag team champion. I've got the greatest girl in the world. I'm f—king invincible.

 _/_

 _Jon and Jimmy were sharing a beer with their opponents, a tradition after a title changed hands. There was a knock on the door, and Amber's head poked around the corner. She had a gigantic smile on her face, but looked guilty to have interrupted. "Oh, sorry, I'll come back, I'll let you have your bro moment," she said sheepishly, smiling at Jon before disappearing around the corner again. Jon got up to follow her. "Hey, you can come in, I don't mind," he said, seeing her leaning against the wall outside. She looked up at him through her lashes. "Hey champ," she purred. He recognised that look._ Ooooh boy, I'm gonna get some tonight! _Amber brought her hands to his waist and pulled him into her, and he lowered his head to hers. Her kiss was firm and heated, sending sparks through his body. He couldn't wait to get her home. He pulled back from her, breathless. "Congratulations, baby," she said, softly. "I'm so proud of you." He took her hand. "I'm so glad you were here for it." Their moment was interrupted by a quick cough behind them. Jon turned to see an older man standing behind him. "Nice work out there," the guy said to him, taking a quick look at Amber._ Watch it, pal. Keep your eyes on me. _"Stu, from IPW," he added, holding out his hand. Jon extended his own in a firm handshake._ IPW? They were here? _Stu continued. "You were solid tonight, really worked the crowd. Keep it up. I'll be looking out for you." Stu walked away, with another look at Amber. She grabbed his hand. "Oh my god!" she said quietly, pulling on Jon's hand. "He was like a scout or something? Babe, that's great!" Jon agreed with her without really paying attention._ People are noticing me, _he thought, feeling ten feet tall._ I'm gonna make it.

* * *

Sitting at the foot of the tree, after a long silence Jon didn't know how to interpret, Amber spoke up. "You know, I'm proud of you, Jon. So proud." He snapped his head to her, trying to hold back his grin. _That means so much, coming from her. It's all I ever wanted, her to be proud of me._ "I've not had the chance to say it," she continued, "not for a long time anyway. But I am. You always knew where you wanted to get to, and you've got there. You've clocked it." She turned to look at him, a hint of colour rising in her cheeks. He swallowed. He wanted to tell her, to thank her for being his inspiration even when she didn't know it. _But I suck at this kind of stuff._ Even when they were together he always struggled to say all the frilly words. She had said he showed his feelings in other ways, but he always felt bad he didn't have the same way with words she did. She could say something to him, about how she felt safe in his arms, or the way her heart raced, and it would have him feeling invincible. He felt the same way, but never had the words. He searched for a suitable reply. "And you were the first person to believe I could. I've not forgotten that, ever," he said, keeping his eyes on hers. _You'll never know how much that meant to me,_ his inner voice continued, but he just couldn't find a way to get that out. Amber laughed. "I was the original fangirl!" He chuckled with her, but he didn't find it as amusing as she did. She meant it as a joke. He knew it was the truth. She was the one person who said he could, when everyone else said he couldn't. Said it wasn't a responsible choice, or a viable one. But Amber never doubted him.

After another awkward silence, Amber scoffed slightly. "And to think, from a tiny grocery store, you've been all over the world now. There are people with pictures of you on their walls. There are kids running around jumping off beds and flipping on trampolines wanting to be Dean Ambrose, the way you wanted to be Bret Hart." She paused, letting that sink in for them both. "That's incredible. I hope all those high school teachers know. I'd love to see their faces now!" Jon smirked. He'd thought about that himself. Showing up back here in Cincinnati, just to see all those people who doubted him. He would be doing it to spite them, but when he thought of coming back here, he always thought of her. And it wouldn't be to spite her. He genuinely hoped she'd be proud of him. "What a life you've had, Mox. What a life you've got." He felt the wave of emotion swell inside him, which he'd been pushing down since he laid eyes on her yesterday. _Now. Do it now. While we're in this throwback bubble._ He took a deep breath. _This could change everything._ "Yeah, it's been quite the ride," he began softly, treading carefully, knowing where he was about to lead them. "But I'd have given it all away, you know, for you. You and that kid."

He heard the air expel from Amber's lungs. He turned to see her eyes closed. _Maybe she's blocked that out, the way I did for so long._ "Yeah, I know," she eventually replied, almost in a whisper. She was looking out to the park, avoiding his gaze. "But I'd never have asked you to." He knew that. Amber would never have contemplated asking him to give up his dream. He knew she'd have given up hers before she would've let him do the same. It's part of what made him unable to let her go, even when he had to. "And look at you now," she continued, turning to him slowly. "Aren't you glad you didn't?"

Her question lingered between them, unanswered. Everything came flooding back into his brain. _And hers, no doubt._ He noticed Amber bite her lip out of the corner of his eye. He wondered when the last time she revisited all this was, and who it was with. Maybe Sam? His mouth went dry. He didn't know what to say now. He didn't really have a game plan. He leaned back against the tree, both of them lost in their own memories.


	9. Flicker

**Potential trigger warning: Please go back and read the last couple of paragraphs of the previous chapter, and proceed with caution if you think upcoming content may resonate with you. I don't go into too much detail, but I would hate to upset anyone. KS xx**

* * *

 _Jon picked up the towel and wiped it across his face. He was in the middle of a solid session in the ring, grappling and experimenting with a few things. He felt good, strong. His body shape was changing with all the work he was doing, and he felt the difference in the ring. He took a swig of his water, and a lone figure sitting on the bleachers caught his eye._ Amber! What's she doing here?She's not due down here til the weekend _. His chest swelled, thrilled she was here to surprise him. "Gimme five," he said over his shoulder to his partner, before slipping between the ropes_. That's strange _, he thought. She wasn't waving or smiling at him. She was looking at her feet propped up on the step in front of her. He frowned._ This isn't normal.

 _He slid in along the seat next to her. "Hey beautiful!" he said, trying to shake her from her trance. He leaned in and kissed her cheek, throwing his arm around her. Amber turned into him, slightly, and forced a small smile._ Something's up. Did something happen at college? Failed that assessment she's been working on? But why would she be here? Maybe Grandpa died or something, maybe that's why she's come home. Oh shit. _"Ambie, what's up?" he asked, his voice dropping to a whisper. There were only a handful of other guys in the gym this hour of night, but he didn't want anyone to hear him. He saw her swallow and heard her sigh. Slowly she brought her eyes to his. "You should finish up here first," she mumbled. He could see what she was meaning by that, and why, but there was no way he could concentrate in the ring with her sitting here like this. "No, I'm done, it doesn't matter," he lied. He'd love to get back in the ring_. But I get the feeling this is one of those moments where a girl says the opposite of what she actually wants you to do. I think... _Amber was staring at her shoes again. "I'll go get my bag," he told her._

 _After a hurried explanation to the guys in the ring, Jon threw his bag over his shoulder and met Amber by the door. He slipped his hand into hers, giving it a squeeze. Her usual response didn't come_. Oh crap. Something big has happened. What the hell do I do? _"Can you drive?" Amber asked him, holding out her keys. He took them from her hesitantly._ Where the hell to?

 _He parked them up by the river. It was a dark Wednesday night and they didn't have much company._ Judging by the look on her face, that's probably a good thing. _He remained silent, wondering what on earth the problem could be._ What if she's breaking up with me? She's found some brainiac at college who has shown her how good she could have it _. His heart raced. "Are you breaking up with me?" he hurried out, desperate to know if that was what this was about. Amber shut her eyes tight, and shook her head._ Phew. Not sure how I would've recovered from that _. He watched her open her eyes, take a big breath and turn to him. "Jon, I'm pregnant."_

What the f-k? _He felt his eyes widen. A wave of nausea hit his stomach._ But, but... How? _She'd been on the pill for a year and nothing had happened. Why now? Amber looked at him, clearly desperate for a response. "Are... Are you sure?" Amber groaned. "I took eight tests, I'm f-king certain_." Eight? Holy shit. HOLY SHIT _. His mind was throbbing, the reality not really sinking in. He thought back to two weekends ago, when Amber had spent most of their time together in the bathroom, being sick. Neither of them made much of it._ Unless, she knew then _. "When did you find out?" he asked cautiously. Tears welled in Amber's eyes. "This morning," she whispered. "I went to the doctor on campus about feeling so ill and it was her first suggestion. I laughed at her, but she made me take a test." She told him she demanded two more tests at the doctors, and bought five different brands on her way home._ So she was sure _._

 _He didn't know what to think. What to say. Or do._ I can't raise a child. I can't even look after myself. I don't have any money, neither does she _. "What are we going to do, Jon?" she asked, bringing her hands over her face. Seeing Amber cry always rattled him. She was always so together. And while they were both in this, it was happening in her body. She had even more right to be scared than he did. He reached out and pulled her head to his shoulder. "I don't know," he said, rubbing her back. "But we're gonna do it together."_

* * *

"I think about it all the time," Amber said, breaking the silence. Jon looked at her. _Same_. "How different our lives would be now." A tense silence filled the air. "I mean, we'd have a ten year old." Jon knew. He thought about it often. Maybe they would've had a son, who would now be a wrestling fan; wearing a hideous Cena shirt, or maybe Seth Rollins, if he'd been raised right. Or perhaps it would've been a little girl with plaited pigtails, who would be into dancing and horse riding. Looking every inch like her mother. That was what he had thought at the time. He didn't know why, but he had thought the baby was a girl. A little Amber. And that's what made it so hard to think about. She'd have been beautiful. "You'd have been stuck with me," Amber said, glancing over at him. "Even worse," he said automatically, "you'd have been stuck me."

* * *

 _Jon and Amber hadn't told anyone about the pregnancy. That wasn't really a big deal for Jon, he didn't have anyone to tell. But he knew Amber should be talking to someone. She wanted, and needed, her mom. But she didn't know what to say, how to tell her that her baby was pregnant. Jon had spent a lot of time with her in Columbus, travelling home a couple of times a week to train, then driving straight back to be with Amber in her shared student apartment. Her morning sickness improved slightly, but the stress of their situation was clearly taking its toll. She hadn't been sleeping well, even when he wrapped his arms around her. However, the laugh he'd come to rely on was still present, which made him happy. It made him think that they might not know what the hell they were doing, but it was going to be okay._ We're in this together.

 _They'd only had one conversation about what to do with the baby. They didn't come to a final conclusion, but they had agreed on one thing; there would be no abortion. Neither of them were sure if they could raise it themselves, but Amber had told Jon that she just couldn't live with killing something that was growing inside her. She'd argued that someone, somewhere, would love their baby, even if they couldn't, so adoption was still on the cards. Jon himself wasn't sure. He'd always planned to get Amber pregnant, just not now; once he'd made it and earned enough money to make sure he could provide for them both. He wanted to be the father of her children, but not at 20 years old. He knew that their lives would change, significantly, if they decided to keep it. Amber would have to drop out of college. At least for a while. And he had already started thinking about what jobs he could do to pay for raising a child. He'd not mentioned it to her, but he knew that he'd have to shelve his career. It wasn't a high-earner, not yet anyway. In no way would he let Amber work full time, with a baby to care for, while he messed around in a ring, not providing anything for them. The thought of giving up his dream sickened him. But at the same time, he wasn't sure how he felt about the idea of someone else raising their child. Of going through all of this to not have anything to show of it. Having to cut ties with his own flesh and blood. Given his own upbringing, he had always sworn he'd do right by any kids he had in the future. And yeah, maybe someone else could provide a better life for their kid. But he didn't want the child to grow up thinking their parents abandoned them. He knew what it was like to feel abandoned. He wasn't comfortable with his son or daughter thinking that of him._

 _This feeling had only increased when they had gone for their first scan. Amber had been nervous as hell, and had actually cancelled a previous scan because she wasn't ready. The doctor had given Jon a stern look when they walked in, as if solely blaming him for this situation. He'd held Amber's shaking hand as the doctor scanned her insides, feeling uncomfortable another man had his hands on her like that. They both watched the screen intensely, not knowing what they were looking at. The doctor pointed at a flicker on the screen. It looked like a flashing jelly bean. "That's your baby, ten weeks," the doctor said._ Wow _, Jon had thought,_ it doesn't look anything like a baby _. Amber had squeezed his hand and looked at him, wonderment on her face. The doctor explained the flashing on screen was the baby's heartbeat, and Jon couldn't take his eyes off it._ It might not look like a baby, but it is. I made that. I made that with her _. As they walked out with pictures from the sonogram, he couldn't shake the image of that flicker on the screen_. That's my kid. That's our baby.

 _/_

" _Jon!"_

 _Amber's voiced pierced his sleep. He was surprised not to see her in the bed next him. "Jon!" she called again, more desperate this time. He rubbed his eyes and hurriedly got to his feet, walking down the hallway following her voice. The bathroom light was on, and he heard Amber breathing deeply. Blinking away the brightness of the lights, his eyes focused on her face. She was as white as a sheet. Her eyes were wide, full of fear. He looked down, her pyjama pants were around her ankles, covered in a reddish-brown gunk._ What the hell happened? Is she okay? _He looked up quickly, panicked by the state of her. "I think we need to go to the hospital," she whimpered, before bursting into tears._


	10. Revisiting

He'd never forgotten the sound Amber made when the doctor told them they'd lost the baby. It was a gut wrenching noise that echoed off the walls of the emergency room, and the walls of his heart. His memory had stored the sound against his wishes, and it had made itself known in his darkest times, and also in his dreams. He could hear it now, sitting under a tree in Halsey Reserve on a nondescript Sunday, a decade later. That's how he knew. She had wanted to keep the baby. _She wouldn't have been so upset if she planned on giving it up. I don't know if she even knew that until the decision was no longer hers._ _  
_  
He looked across at her, her eyes glassy. "We were so young," she said, staring at the grass in front of her. "So young." _What does she mean by that?_ It was true, of course; he was 20 and she had just turned 19. Maybe she was referencing how unprepared they'd felt. Maybe she was still in disbelief a seemingly healthy pregnancy in a healthy young woman ended that way. Or maybe she was referring to the mistakes they'd made afterwards, based on their differing levels of maturity. They didn't tell anyone. It was hard to see Amber lie to her parents, but she didn't want to tell them. She didn't see the point. She went straight back into her college life as if nothing happened. So he followed suit. Went straight back into being a wrestler, as if nothing happened. _But something had happened. I wonder if things would've been different if I acknowledged it, rather than pushed it away._

* * *

 _"Why are you so stiff all of a sudden?"_

 _Jimmy was asking the question, but Jon had heard whispers around the locker room. He was falling, striking, bumping harder than usual. Harder than he should be. He knew he was doing it, but it was almost subconscious. He couldn't stop it. "Oh, really?" he lied through his teeth. "Shit. I'll work on that. Sorry." Jimmy looked at him, unconvinced. "Everything okay man?" Jon raised his eyebrows, nodding. "Yeah, everything's sweet, man. Just need a good night's sleep." Jimmy lingered, then nodded, accepting that. It was true; he'd not had a full night's sleep in a week. But he wouldn't let on that was because he was drinking most nights, and then haunted by the same dream each time he managed to drift off. The flicker of the heartbeat, Amber's scream. They were an imperfect duet inside his mind. And it was beginning to drive him mad._ _  
_

* * *

He heard Amber sniff next to him. He turned to her, seeing a tear roll down her cheek. "When was the last time you spoke about this?" he asked gently. She wiped her face. "To a college counsellor. Probably eight years ago now." He felt a punch in his chest. _She went to counselling over it. All of it. Good one._ "Never to anyone else?" he asked, genuinely surprised. "Never," she said, shaking her head. _But why?_ Why would she choose to keep that inside? She had always been so good at dealing with things. "I was so ashamed," she said, dropping her head into her hands _. Ashamed that you were pregnant? That you'd been carrying my baby?_ He'd never thought of that. It hurt him to think maybe she'd thought that. "I failed, you know?" she said looking up at him, smothered tears on her face. "I felt like such a failure. Isn't that what women are meant to do? Bear children? And I failed. Spectacularly." Her tone was full of venom. He felt a twitch in his heart. _She blames herself. She hates herself. Still_. He moved closer to her. "It wasn't your fault, Ambie," he said gently, placing a hand on her knee. "They told us that. Things like that just happen sometimes." She looked at him sideways, the sadness and self-doubt evident. "Yeah well, words are easy, aren't they?" She lay her head down against his shoulder, blinking out a few more tears.

Jon didn't know what to do. He knew they had to talk about this today, but he hated that it upset her so much. He wouldn't have expected attending Rick's wedding would lead to this; Amber sitting beside him, her head on his shoulder. He wished he could enjoy the moment. Instead, their closeness was wrapped in pain for them both. He dipped his head slightly and kissed her hair, so gently she may not even have felt it _. I know what it feels like_ , he said to her in his mind. _The blame. It's crippling_.

* * *

 _Jon sat up, recognizing his single bed in the rented apartment. He wasn't sure how he got there, but the car keys were on the bed next to him. He ran a palm down his face, trying to focus his eyes. Last night had been pretty messy. He remembered drinking with a few of the guys, but that was it. The rest didn't even register._

 _There was a knock at the door. That's what had stirred him. He thought it had just been in his head. He stumbled through the mess on his floor, down the hallway, and opened the door, blinking into the sunlight. "What the hell has happened to you?" he heard her say, before he saw her. "What a f-king mess you are," she said, forcing her way past him._

 _Jon had been in Puerto Rico for a month. The opportunity had come up and he knew he had to take it. Amber had been fully supportive, and even though he was hesitant to leave her, it was too good an opportunity to turn down. What he hadn't accounted for was how the loneliness and distance would affect him. Amber had tried to talk to him every day, but before long, he was too ashamed of his behaviour to answer her calls. If he was even with it when she called. The last time they spoke they'd argued, and they never argued. But he had been hungover and on a downer, unable to fully respond to her conversation. "I feel like I don't know who you are, on top of not knowing where you are," he remembered her yelling at him._

 _And here she was. Standing in his shithole of an apartment he shared with four others, who must've been at the gym._ How the hell did she get here _? he thought to himself._ How the hell did she find me? _"Show me your arms," she said directly. It wasn't a request. It was a demand. He wasn't present enough to have any other rebuttal than disobedience. "Show me your arms!" she screamed at him, moving towards him and pushing his sleeve up. He knew what she'd find there, and she must've too. The sight of puncture wounds in his arm took her breath away. She took a step back, shaking her head. She brought her eyes to his; he couldn't read her expression. She looked like she could cry. She looked like she could scream._

 _"I'm so disappointed in you," she said, her voice shaking. Jon felt like he was going to be sick, unsure if it was because of her words or because of last night's concoctions._ _Her face was stone._ Why doesn't she understand? This is my outlet. _"Don't you know what month it is?" he said, his head pounding. She looked at him with ice in her eyes. "Of course I know what month it is," she spat out. "So forgive me if I feel like I need support from the only other person who would understand. But you're clearly not in the state to provide that." She began pacing, her breathing heavy. Jon's mind was a mess. He wasn't out of first gear mentally, and even if he was, he probably still wouldn't be able to handle this conversation. Frustration built within him. "Don't sound so surprised, Amber. I'm a failure at everything. Just like always. A failure as a boyfriend. A failure as a wrestler. It's no surprise my f-king sperm failed too." A small hint of compassion glossed over her eyes, before her resolve returned._ _"We lost the baby, Jon. Deal with it." His jaw dropped._ Deal with it? How can she be so cold? _His fists balled. "Like you did? Shutting out everyone else and studying yourself to death? That's how you 'dealt' with it? Well I'm down here doing what you did; numbing it all from my brain." He swore her eyes were about to pop out of their sockets. "Don't you dare compare us. Not like this." He scoffed. "It's exactly the same." She shook her head. "Don't be stupid. Don't you know this can kill you?" she said, kicking an empty vodka bottle for emphasis._

 _They'd reached an impasse. Amber feeling she'd made her point, Jon unable to string together a coherent argument. After a moment, Amber changed tack._ _"You have to stop," she said softly. "I can't lose you too." Jon sighed._ I can't lose you either. But I can't stop it. _She continued. "You're choosing to do this to yourself. We lost the baby, but we didn't choose that. There was nothing we could do about that. But you can do something about this."_ I'm not sure I can. Every time I'm straight I can't see through the darkness. _"Please Jon," she added. "If not for me, then for your career. Who is going to want you like this?"_ You. Please tell me you do. _He had words flying around in his mind but he couldn't put them together. He fell back onto the sofa, groaning at the spinning in his head._

 _She sat down next to him, and he thought that maybe she'd stay._ How long is she here for? If she's here, maybe I have a chance. _She looked around the living room. "This place is gross," she murmured. "They need to put you somewhere better." He watched her look around, taking in the mess on the floor, the kitchen bench, and the coffee table next to her. "What the hell?" she said, picking up a Kleenex._ No. No no. Don't look in there. Please. _She tipped three small white pills into her hand, looking at them before back at him in complete disdain. "Who the f—k are you now?" she said, angrily. She picked her bag up off the ground, moving away from him. "I love you, but I can't… I just can't cope with this. Get some help." She rubbed her temples. He bounced his leg up and down off the ground._ Please, please don't go, Amber. Stay. Help me do this. _"Call me when you sort this shit out," she said, bitterness in her voice. She walked out, not even bothering to close the door behind her._ _Jon picked up a bottle and threw it at the kitchen wall. The noise it made shattering against the wall made his head hurt. A nice distraction from the pain in his heart._

* * *

It had taken him years to recover from those months in Puerto Rico. The addiction side of things was almost the easy part. Getting his life back on track wasn't. He'd gone back to Cincinnati, a loser, with nothing. And drunk himself senseless. He never called Amber, he couldn't bring himself to. He hadn't 'sorted his shit out' so he didn't think she would want to see him in this state. He did drive up to Columbus one night, drove past her apartment, ready to talk to her. But his inner demon got the better of him, and he turned around and drove straight back to Cincinnati. That was the night he met Rick. He broke down in tears outside his bar, telling him he'd lost his girlfriend, they'd lost a baby, and he'd lost his career. Rick had taken sympathy on him, taken him in to his house and helped him get back on his feet. He gave him a job cleaning up the bar after closing time, which gave Jon some cash in his pocket. And when an opportunity came up in Philadelphia, he encouraged Jon to take it. "You gotta get back in the ring," he'd said. Said it would clear his head and give him focus. And while Rick was the encouragement, Amber was the motivation. He had to prove himself to her. He had to show her he was better than that.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I'm sorry for being such a jackass." That's all he could manage. He figured that statement was sweeping enough to cover everything; his stupid behaviour, his bad decisions, his silence. She shook her head softly. "Don't worry about it," she replied. "We were young. Neither of us were equipped to deal with any of that. I shut down too, I pushed everyone away. Including you." _She's too polite. I was an asshole. I was stupid. She's just too nice to say it_. "I had only just got over the shock of being pregnant and then suddenly I wasn't anymore," she continued, her voice wavering. "I'd never asked to have a baby but I sure as hell didn't ask for it to be taken away from me." "From us," Jon said staring at the ground. They both sighed, a silence falling over them for a moment _._ "I made stupid decisions," he said, looking out towards the park. "I didn't have anything there to support me. I shouldn't have gone. I shouldn't have left you, it was too soon." Those words hung for a while, before he added to them. "You were the best part of me Ambie. I didn't have much else back then." _That's why it all fell apart without you._ Amber turned to him, smiling gently. "Well, you've sure turned that around, haven't you?" _Because of you, though. You just didn't know it._


	11. Moving forward

"So you never told anyone? Not even boyfriends?" A smile appeared on Amber's face. "You make it sound like there's been plenty." _Surely she wouldn't have had a problem in that department. She's so pretty._ "It took me a long time to even think about anyone else," she said, a quick glance at him out of the corner of her eye. _She was probably waiting for me. And I just disappeared_. "But no, I never told them. It's not the kind of thing you say on a first date. And because I wasn't really over it, I wasn't comfortable talking about it." She paused. "What about you?" He sighed. "Rick knows," he replied, looking at her with trepidation. She raised her eyebrows, but he continued before she could say anything. "He doesn't know about you, obviously. But the night we met I told him everything. That's what made him take me in, I reckon."

Amber nodded gently. "And what about girlfriends?" She was looking away from him, clearly uncomfortable asking the question. _Oh god, what do I tell her? How do I tell her? She'll probably think less of me, again_. He decided on a version of the truth. "There's not been any, really," he managed, hoping she'd accept that. Amber shifted, turning towards him. There was still sadness on her face. "You're telling me that in ten years, you've never had anyone to share anything with? That you've been through all of this, to where you are now, on your own?" _I shared the nights with people, but nothing more_. He shrugged. "I can't believe that. How? How did you cope with nobody to lean on?" she asked, genuine concern in her eyes. "I had the boys," he answered. "That's who I've shared my success and travel and career with. But it's hard to find someone to share the rest with when you're in a different city every night." He watched as Amber considered that statement. She seemed to accept the first half, and the second sunk in. He saw the understanding on her face. _A different city means a different girl_. She hesitated before she spoke. "So, no girls hung around? There was no one who you considered would be worth sharing your life with?" He sighed. In frustration. In sadness. In defeat. _May as well tell her. You'll be on a plane in a few hours; back to that life and leaving her to hers_. "Not really," he began. "Some of them were alright, and I tried." _Here goes nothing_. "But truth is, when I thought I was finally ready, I thought the next girl would feel as good. And when she didn't, I thought the next girl would. Then the next girl. But none of them did, Ambie." _None of them do_ , he said to himself, bringing it into present tense. He still hadn't met anyone who came close to what they had had together. "Maybe it's because you were the first, maybe it's because of what we went through. But no one has made me feel the way you did." He was too scared to look at her. He focused in on a single blade of grass, biting the inside of his cheek. He felt her move next to him. "We did go through a lot," she said, understated. She slid her hand into his, and brought her head against his shoulder once more.

* * *

 _Jon stood in the locker room, his black clothing in place, his hair slicked back. He looked so different. He'd never wrestled looking like this before. It was a major change from Jon Moxley's many aesthetics. But tonight needed to be different. Tonight was big. He whipped his arms back and forth across his body, and dropped into a couple of squats, to keep the blood flowing. There was a knock on the locker room door, indicating it was time. It was their time. He heard Colby jump to his feet, and Joe exhale loudly. They'd each completed their routines, they were ready. Ready to introduce The Shield to the Universe. Jon reached into his pocket and pulled out the photo, folded in half and dog-eared. There she was, as always. Frozen in time, smiling and holding her sign. He narrowed in on her face, her eyes, wishing he could say it in person._ I did it, Ambie, I made it. We made it _. He placed the photo inside his bag, just as Colby pulled him in for a huddle._ Thank you _, was his last message to her, before disappearing into his zone._

* * *

"For a long time I looked at it as the ultimate sign you and I weren't meant to be," she said. _Ouch_ , Jon thought. _I'd have never have thought that_. "You know," she continued, "the embodiment of the two of us didn't come to anything, so maybe we wouldn't either." He contorted his face up, wondering if he should say anything. "I just saw it as bad luck," he finally said. _And bad timing_. He'd always wondered what would've happened to them if they didn't have to deal with the miscarriage. Other than his insecurities around preppy college guys, he couldn't see a reason why they would've ever parted ways. They had their plan; Amber would get her teaching qualifications, he'd work his way through the indies, and when everything aligned just nicely, he'd be called to Florida and up through developmental to WWE, Amber blissfully happy teaching at a local school. _But life gets in the way sometimes_. "Yeah, we had a good run," Amber said, a hint of cheek mixed with her nostalgia.

"What time is your flight?" she asked. "You got time for a drink before you leave?" Jon glanced down at his watch. _Two hours til take off_. "Yeah, plenty of time." Even if he missed his flight, he didn't care. When he booked the ticket, he picked a flight that would've allowed a sleep in and an easy travel day, heading to RAW for the following day. Now he didn't care. He'd catch a red eye, or leave three hours before TV time, if it meant reconnecting with Amber. He wasn't sure what was going to come of these 36 hours, or what could come of it. He just hoped that this time, when they walked away from each other, there would be no malice, no tears, no toxic uncertainty. _At least we'll know where to find one another._


	12. Serendipitous

Jon placed a glass of wine in front of Amber, and sat down opposite her. They'd chosen a place closer to town, with river views, and the commotion of other people was a great distraction from what they had just been covering. They sipped on their drinks in silence for a few moments, before Amber spoke up. "So where to now?" she asked, an eyebrow raised inquisitively. _For the conversation? For us?_ But he knew what she meant. "Minneapolis. And Smackdown in Madison. Then home. Before the circus begins another rotation." She looked sideways at him. "You know, when you put it like that, it sounds like you don't enjoy it..." He scoffed quietly. "The red eye flights, the 3am wake up calls. The cramps from sitting in a car or plane too long. Forgetting which state you're in. I don't overly enjoy that." He sipped at his drink to let that sink in, the realities of being on the road. He saw her tilt her head as she comprehended it. "But that's not what you do it for," he continued, his tone noticeably brighter. "The noise, the adrenalin, the hairs on the back your neck. The people chanting your name, wearing your shirts. It's addictive." Amber's eyes dropped momentarily, then met his. "Understandable" she said. "And that sounds like a much healthier thing to let control your life." _Message received_ , he thought. It felt like a reality slap to him, but a deserved one. _I bet she's been waiting ten years to say that. I'll allow it, cos it's true._ He felt that way himself.

"So, when are you gonna be the big champ?" she asked, changing tack. He smiled softly. "Only Vince knows that," he chuckled. "He has his favourites, I'm not sure I'm one of them." Amber leaned in across the table. "Surely they can't ignore the fans, Jon. You're one of their favourites." He shrugged. He knew that. Dozens of others before him knew that. But the reality was you had to be Vince's guy. "It's not that easy," he said, wondering if she'd understand the politics. "But I've been up sniffing around the title in the last year. That's promising, I guess. There's a lot of guys worse off than me." Amber swirled her wine around her mouth, then held her almost-empty glass out towards him. "A toast, then." He looked at her, amused, but lifted his equally-empty glass towards hers. "To Dean Ambrose, to Jon Moxley. To world heavyweight championships." He smirked, bowed his head in acknowledgment and tapped his glass to hers. They both finished off their drinks, smiling. "You know," Jon said, his confidence growing after the beer had taken the edge off his hesitation, "I wouldn't be anywhere near the title without you." He looked up at her, and she looked confused. She scoffed. "I don't believe that for a second," she said, shaking her head. "You've always had the drive. The talent. The desire. Plus you've done it all on your own in the last decade. I had nothing to do with that. It's always been you." _But it's always been you_. He wanted to blurt that out, but couldn't find the gumption to be that frank. "I know. I'm not saying I didn't work hard, just that I needed the belief. Someone who thought I could." She laughed. "The fangirl!" she chuckled. The corners of his mouth raised slightly. "Yeah, the fangirl." After a pause, he continued. "You never thought I was crazy, Ambie. You told me I had it, back when I had nothing. You'll never know how much that meant, how much I held on to that when things weren't working out." _Please. Please see that I'm genuine_. Amber considered that statement. "Well, I still don't think I contributed much, but I'll claim it if you're offering," she laughed. _I'm insisting. Internally anyway_. "Good," he replied. _Here we go. Just be honest_. "I've always tried to make you proud," he said, dropping his eyes to his lap. "I mean, I let you down once before and that f-king sucked. That was the moment. The moment that changed my life." He glanced up at her; her face was soft, accepting. "I've worked these past ten years to know, at least within myself, that I could become someone you'd be proud of again." Amber reached her hand across the table. "Of course I'm proud of you, Jon," she said softly. "To come from where you were, to this? It's everything you dreamed of, and everything I hoped for. Even when I didn't know where you were, I hoped you were still climbing the mountain." Jon looked into her eyes, and her faith in him was palpable. He could feel a heat rise in his cheeks. _Holy crap, am I blushing?_ He shook his head firmly once, bringing his attention back into the moment. "So," he said raising his now-empty glass. "To fangirls." Amber's head rolled back and she giggled silently. "To fangirls," she repeated, completing his toast.

* * *

Amber drove Jon back to his hotel. They both got out of her car. _What now?_ he thought. He came round to her side of the car. _What a whirlwind this has been. And where the hell does it go from here?_ "Another day, another dollar huh?" Amber said, awkwardly. "Yeah, another flight, another terrible inflight safety video," he replied. They looked at each other, and then quickly away again. Jon looked past Amber; back out towards the city, back towards their history. He felt a wash of electricity run through him rapidly. _Another chapter in a book I thought was long gone_. The last time he was this reluctant to leave Cincinnati, he was about to make the stupidest mistake of his life. Since then, every time he'd come back, he was desperate to get out of the place. It had held nothing but bad, sad memories for him. _Until this weekend_. But he had to go. His crowd would be calling for him tomorrow night. _It's not a mistake to leave this time, right?_ He looked back to Amber, lingering, looking at her hands. _Maybe she doesn't want this to end either. Or maybe she's too sad to know what to do_. She looked a bit sheepish, almost innocent. For a brief moment, she looked 17 again. She leaned back against her car, looking at him. Jon stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked back at her. _How do you say goodbye to someone who has such a huge part of you?_ Whether they saw each other again or went another ten years, he knew he'd never drop Amber. Especially after clearing the air this weekend.

"You'll miss your flight." Amber finally broke the silence. Jon shrugged. If he stayed any longer, it was true. But he didn't really care. "I won't have you miss a show on my account," she chuckled, pushing herself gently off the car. "Crazy day, huh?" she asked, her voice soft. There was no way he could sum up today in one word, so crazy seemed suitable enough. He tossed around a few lines in his head, but they all sounded cheesy. "Mmmm," he grunted in agreeance. He couldn't let go of the fact he was the one having to cut their time short. Again, he was the one ending things, against his will. He looked up at her, feeling a change in her demeanour. She was blinking back tears. "I think I really needed this," she said, a half smile crossing her face. "It's been a long time." She sighed. "And now I know you're okay, you're doing just fine. That's a big relief for me." _Same_ , he thought to himself. _You don't know how many nights I stared at the ceiling wondering if you were okay_. But of course, he couldn't say that. "It's been so good to see you," he managed. _Understatement of the year. Of the decade_. Amber swallowed, a couple more tears blinked away. "Yeah, it has," she whispered. Jon's eyes flicked down to the ground then back up to her, and she powered towards him. She slipped her arms under his and pulled herself against his chest. Muscle memory took over, and Jon's arms wrapped around her. He nuzzled his head in against her hair, like he used to, and took her in. He was surprised at how familiar it felt, having her in his arms. _It's because you spent years thinking about it, even when she wasn't around_ , a voice in his head told him. He instinctively tightened his grip, wanting to imprint the feeling in his mind once more. Amber's hand moved up and down his back gently, and he wished he could feel it on his skin. He sighed in content. _This moment, if nothing else, is perfect._ _  
_  
They stayed in the embrace for a few moments, before he felt Amber pull back slightly. He released his grip, but not completely, allowing her to stand before him, with his arms loosely around her waist. _Turns out you're not quite ready to let her go_. She reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. _Yes, put your number in_ , he thought. _Why didn't I think of that?_ He remained silent, watching her thumbs move. _How does she do that so quickly?_ When she finished, she slipped the phone back into his pocket. "Good," he said, showing he was in favour of having her number. "You're good, Good," she said, smiling up at him. It had been ten years since he'd heard that. In fact, he heard it a lot, but she used to say it all the time, thinking she was quite the comedian. There was a cheeky glint in her eye, and he couldn't stop himself from chuckling. "You better go," she said, bowing her head in acceptance that their moment was over _. Dammit_. "Yeah," he replied, trying not to sound like a punished child. She pulled her hands back from around his waist and he reluctantly did the same. The space between them had not lessened, however. "Take care, Amber," he said, sure to scan her eyes one last time for future reference. _You'll always have a part of me, I hope you know that._ He hoped that sentiment read on his face. "You too, Dean Ambrose," she said, raising a hand to him, pushing a scruffy tuft of hair out of his eyes. Her fingers lingered on his face, warm and soft on his skin. Jon could hear his heart. _Surely she can too?_ Amber reached up on her toes and placed her lips against his softly. _Oh my god._ For a moment he couldn't respond, keeping his eyes open to ensure what was actually happening. _She's kissing you. Kiss her, you fool!_ He brought his hands to her waist, slowly moving his lips against hers. He heard her inhale, and respond against him. _I remember this. I remember her._ Her hand came to rest on his side, and gently gripped his t shirt. Their lips brushed each other once more, before she leaned back on to her heels, sighing. "You too," she repeated, giving him a half-smile before turning back towards her car. Biting his lip as he watched her walk away, he sighed heavily himself. _Til we meet again, Amber Rose._

* * *

An hour later, Jon was sitting in airport lounge, awaiting his boarding call. Ordinarily he'd have his face buried in a book; not so much for the reading material, but to serve as a camouflage device from other travellers. But his head was a rollercoaster. He knew he couldn't concentrate on a book right now. Or anything. The only scenes being played in his head were every moment of the past 36 hours. He never thought he'd see Amber again, before yesterday. Now, he knew where to find her. He knew she'd had the chance to talk about the baby, to let out what she'd been keeping inside for so long. And likewise for him. He'd finally got to express the apology he'd been carrying in his soul all these years. _And she's proud of me. After everything, I heard her say those words._ A loud beep from his phone interrupted his thoughts. _Maybe it's Amber,_ he thought. As he pulled out his phone, he saw it was from Terry, his travel manager. _You idiot, she doesn't have your number yet._ Jon typed out a reply, letting Terry know that, yes, he was at the airport on time and would be in Minneapolis later tonight. Just as he went to turn his phone off, he noticed a text message to an unknown number. He opened it, frowning, before breaking into a wide smile.  
 _ **"Hey Amber, thanks for a GOOD weekend. It was great to see you and catch up on life. Next time I roll into town, dinner on me, okay? And I'll get you front row tickets to the show, only the best for the original fangirl. I'll call you when I land. Mox."**_


End file.
